For example from the document EP 0 434 525 A1 an automatic multi-gear transmission for vehicles is known, which comprises a number of planetary gearsets which are shifted by means of frictional elements such as clutches and brakes and are usually connected to a starting element such as a hydraulic torque converter or a fluid coupling with a protective action and which is optionally provided with a bridging clutch. However, such automatic transmissions have the disadvantage that all their shifting elements are in the form of frictional disk clutches or disk brakes, which take up a lot of space and are cost-intensive.
Furthermore, from the document DE 102 44 023 A1 a transmission is known, which comprises a plurality of shifting elements and a number of shiftable gearwheels which, by means of the shifting elements, can be engaged in a power flow, wherein to obtain a gear in each case at least one of the shifting elements is closed. The shifting elements to be engaged for upshifts are in the form of frictional shifting elements and the shifting elements which, in each case, are those only one of which has to be disengaged for upshifts, are in the form of shape-interlocking shifting elements. Owing to the numerous frictional shifting elements used, drag losses in the known transmission and also its costs and space occupation are high.